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| Henry Patten became a professional after playing collegiate tennis in the United States |
Britain’s Henry Patten claimed his second grand slam doubles title alongside Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara in a late-night epic at the Australian Open.
The pair did not walk out on Rod Laver Arena until 10.30pm local time after a lengthy women’s singles final and it took until beyond midnight for the first set of their final against Italian third seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori to conclude.
They were edged out in a 34-point tie-break after having 10 set points but put it behind them to clinch a 6-7 (16) 7-6 (5) 6-3 victory just before 1.45am.
It cements Patten and Heliovaara as one of the very best pairs in the world after winning their maiden slam title at Wimbledon last summer.
“Bloody hell,” said Patten after collecting the trophy. “What an evening. Firstly I want to thank everybody who stayed out here and watched us play. You guys are a little bit crazy but I love you for it.
“What an amazing match. There shouldn’t really have been a loser. Now for Harri, what a journey we’ve been on. It’s really special to share the court with you, I wouldn’t like to do it with anyone else and let’s keep going.”
There was drama in the 10th game of the opening set when, with Bolelli serving for it, Patten and Heliovaara successfully challenged a Vavassori volley where the Italian had struck the ball by leaning over the net.
That gave the British-Finnish pair a break back point and they converted, but they could not take any of three set points two games later, and a titanic tie-break then went the way of the Italians.
But Patten and Heliovaara held their nerve to hit back in a second-set tie-break and a break of the Bolelli serve to start the decider proved decisive, with Patten clinching victory with an ace after three hours and four minutes.
Meanwhile, Alfie Hewett likened his rivalry with Tokito Oda to that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after finally getting the better of the Japanese 18-year-old.
Hewett, 27, was unable to hold back tears after defeating Oda 6-4 6-4 in the men’s wheelchair final to win his 10th grand slam singles title and 32nd overall.
Since beating the teenager in the final here two years ago, Hewett had lost to Oda in three slam finals and the battle for the Paralympic gold medal in Paris last summer.
His dedication to ending the losing run in big finals saw him bring a left-handed hitting partner to Melbourne Park purely to prepare for a potential final against Oda, and it paid off.
“I didn’t expect me to start blubbering on the court, to be honest, but I’m probably harbouring a few feelings from the last couple of matches that we’ve played,” said Hewett, who won a sixth consecutive doubles title in Melbourne on Friday with Gordon Reid.
“It does knock you deep down, your belief and confidence in the big moments. For me to do it today and prove to myself more than anyone that I can rise to the occasion against a player like him, it was very overwhelming.
“Today I was just very hungry and motivated to try and showcase what I’m all about from point one.”
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| Alfie Hewett, left, and Tokito Oda pose with their trophies (Manish Swarup/AP) |
Hewett was world number one when Oda burst onto the scene, and trying to solve the puzzle of beating the new kid on the block has been a frustrating but satisfying one for the Briton.
“Tokito has come on tour and made us all just be better because we have to be,” he said. “Otherwise, he will dominate.
“Of course, in the moment it’s painful when you lose and you are wondering that it’s going to be a long road ahead. He’s so young, as well.
“You have to be challenged. You have to be pushed to your limits. We have a good relationship, and I’m glad that he’s pushing me, and I’m sure I’ll be pushing him, and he will say the exact same. It’s a bit of a Federer-Nadal situation – wheelchair version.”
- Eleanor Crooks
